left the ball in someone's court

A form of leave the ball in someone's court — To hand over the responsibility or choice to someone to make a decision or take action about something.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of leave the ball in someone's court
Cite this entry
APA

left the ball in someone's court. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20the%20ball%20in%20someone's%20court

MLA

“left the ball in someone's court.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20the%20ball%20in%20someone's%20court. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “left the ball in someone's court,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20the%20ball%20in%20someone's%20court.

Source: left the ball in someone's court on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.